Health behaviors, risk factors, and health indicators associated with cigarette use in Mexican Americans: results from the Hispanic HANES.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smokers often engage in other, potentially deleterious, health behaviors. Such behaviors have not been well documented in Mexican American smokers. METHODS: Data from the Southwestern sample of the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) were employed to investigate differences in health behaviors, risk factors and health indicators between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers among Mexican Americans. Differences between those smoking less than 10 and 10 or more cigarettes per day were also examined by age group and gender. RESULTS: Positive associations between smoking status and heavy coffee and alcohol consumption were found across gender and age groups. Less consistent was the finding that smokers weighed less than nonsmokers. Lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures in middle-aged smokers, and higher levels of depressive symptomatology among smoking women were found. Those smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day were more likely to report heavy coffee consumption, with younger men reporting greater activity limitation due to poor health. Middle-aged men and women in the 10+ category were generally in better health than lighter smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Modest associations between cigarette smoking, health behaviors and risk factors found in other studies were confirmed in this Mexican American population. Few significant associations between smoking and health status were noted.

The Effects of Transdermal Nicotine Therapy for Smoking Cessation on Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depression

“…Other epidemiological studies have shown similar results (e.g. (Breslau 1995;Kendler et al 1993), for different age (Breslau et al 1991;Salive and Blazer 1993) and ethnic (Lee and Markides 1991) subgroups.…”

Health Behaviors as Predictors for Declines in Higher-Level Functional Capacity in Older Adults: The Ohasama Study

“…In contrast, the results from previous studies of the relationship between higher level of functional decline and smoking have been controversial; some studies have found a significant association between current smoking and functional decline, whereas others did not report, but because the latter studies had small sample sizes and were cross‐sectional, it is possible that these methodological limitations might lead to a “chicken and egg” situation. Smoking is also strongly associated with cancer and cardiovascular diseases, so it is important to educate older adults about smoking cessation.…”

Mortality patterns among adult Hispanics: findings from the NHIS, 1986 to 1990.

“…A variety of factors have been invoked by other authors, including the "healthy migrant" effect, a diet that includes more fruits and vegetables than the typical American diet, and protective psychosocial effects.26'27 However, survey data have shown that many risk factors are not more favorably distributed in US Hispanics, [28][29][30][31][32][33] and Hispanics have more limited access to health care than do Whites.434 It should be recognized, however, that cross-sectional surveys cannot characterize lifetime risk, and important secular trends may be occurring. As demonstrated by the data in this report, the age interaction suggests that conditions affecting younger adult men, notably extemal causes, are not less frequent in Hispanics, and conditions with a long latency, particularly cancer, probably play the predominant role in older individuals.…”